The Spare
by homra-kid
Summary: 'Spares' are human clones that are raised as organ donors so that they may lengthen the life span of their original persons. Roxas Strife is one such spare & has dedicated his life to become Sora Strife's key to survival but when Axel Flynn enters the picture, he learns just what it means to truly be alive.
1. Part 1

**The Spare**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Square Enix.

**Warning:** Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships and whatever, you know all that good stuff, AU and also some mild OOC-ness… character death. There will be various time skips as well. If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.

**Summary:** The year is 2210 and scientists have discovered a way to lengthen the normal life span of the average human being through the creation of 'spares', human clones that are raised in order for their organs to be harvested and implanted back into their original persons. Roxas Strife is one such spare and has dedicated his life to become Sora Strife's key to survival but when Axel Flynn enters the picture, he learns just what it means to truly be alive.

**Pairings:** Axel x Roxas & Sora x Riku with hints of Sora x Roxas and Cloud x Leon

**Music:** "Transcendence" by Lindsey Stirling & "Running on Empty" by Diana Fox

**A/N:** When I was younger, I loved watching Gundam Wing on Toonami. Just last year, I discovered the novella sequel to the series called Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop, and I fell in love with the fictional character, Katherine Oud Winner who is the younger sister of Quatre Raberba Winner. Katherine is a 'spare' and is meant to be a sort of organ donor to her brother should anything happen to him. As the story goes on, she realizes that she is more than just a potential sacrifice and defies her intended role when she begins fighting for her beliefs by defecting the group, Preventers to join Relena Peacecraft and her cause. She also learns to fall in love and gradually, I believe she begins to forget that she is a 'spare'.

There is an English film called Never Let Me Go which is quite similar to this story I have written, just I didn't intend but it has similar aspects to it. I haven't watched it but I've read a bio about it and really I want to try and find the time to sit down and see it for myself despite how very emotional it is. I actually stumbled upon it when I googled the lead actor of the new Spider Man movie because I thought he was hot! Haha. Another reference to make that I've only just realized is the film, My Sister's Keeper. I've seen it before but I had no thoughts about it while writing this but in some ways there are similarities between my story and the movie in terms of theme just like in Never Let Me Go.

Hopefully, my dear readers you will begin to recognize the message I have entwined into this short story. If not, there's no problem with PM and asking me (:

Anyways, please enjoy reading this lovely story.

-x-x-x-x-

When Cloud Strife was first made aware of the future complications his younger brother, Sora would have to endure as he matured throughout his life due to his body's weak development, the idea of creating a 'spare' for him was just what he conceded to at the doctor's recommendation. Not too long after Sora's fourth birthday, Roxas arrived at the door whilst holding Professor Vexen's hand with an expression as blank as a white canvas.

"Mr. Strife, I would like to introduce you to Roxas." Vexen said with a hint of complacency in his voice.

Looking down at the small lad, Cloud had given him a small nod of recognition that day but his attention was quick to turn back towards the white blond professor.

The small child was just about the same size and age as the little brunet, if not younger. His hair color was a shade of wheat blond that swept off to the side in a style quite similar to Cloud's in that it stood up in an odd spikey fashion and he possessed the Strife family's distinctive blue eyes to match. It was obvious that there were some slight physical differences between him and Sora, courtesy of Professor Vexen who wanted to give the spare some alterations so that the family would be able to tell him and Sora apart. Despite that little set back though, the roots of Roxas' genetic makeup were still considered a relative if not imperfect copy to the younger Strife's DNA, something that Professor Vexen explained was all due to the differences in the epigenomes between the two boys. As long as the Roxas' genetic material was near identical to that of his younger brother's and he could be put to use without any complications, Cloud didn't care if they held the appearance of fraternal twins.

After signing the papers, Cloud gave the little blond boy his family's surname and he became not just Roxas, but Roxas Strife. Despite such a substantial gesture in giving him a name and place to call home, the little blond was far from being treated as a member of the Strife family. If anything he was the black sheep within the happy white flock, the outcast that had no chance of ever finding acceptance with the people who needed him.

Virtually held as a prisoner within the confines of the Strife's household, Roxas was neglected for the most part and had very little interaction with anyone else inside and outside of the family. Cloud obviously didn't want anything to do with him and it left Roxas with very little options in terms of socialization. It wasn't until Sora's inquisitive nature got the best of him did Roxas encounter the bubbly child and instantly, Sora took to him much to his older brother's surprise.

Sora was still quite young at the time and had yet to fully understand the real reason as to why Roxas had suddenly appeared on their doorstep. At the beginning of their budding friendship, the two were given very little consideration. Their relationship continued to be overlooked and ignored for the most part till it became apparent that the two boys were attached at the hip. They were found together at all times throughout the day and even long into the nightly hours. It was something that did not sit well with Cloud and it worried his consciousness to no end.

By the time Sora and Roxas both turned ten years old, Cloud felt that it was time for them to be separated. Being emotionally involved with a 'spare' would only spell trouble, that was what the eldest Strife believed and he wanted to make sure that Sora understood that philosophy as well. Unfortunately for Cloud, his little brother was completely against his decisions on the matter concerning his friendship with Roxas, finding it unfair that he had to be forcefully alienated from his beloved blond counterpart just because the boy was a spare. No matter how much Sora whined or glared, the older Strife did not relent to his demands, leaving their brotherly relationship strained and hostile.

Being a spare basically meant being a flawed copy of the original if not a shadow of a person. They were pretty much considered pets, sometimes even lower than that, and people would pretty much categorize them as tools, artificially made by scientists to increase the life span of human beings, which was what they were meant to do from the start. Though spares lived and breathed like any other mammal, they were not the work of Mother Nature, they were man-made, inhuman creatures that had only one duty installed into their consciousness. To_ feel_ any deep emotion for a spare, whether it be sympathy, passion or love, it all meant encountering the unavoidable and heartbreaking reality that all spares had to face in the end, which was death.

The years Roxas spent in the Strife household, deprived of Sora and all other human interactions, Cloud made sure each and every day to drill his belief and views of spares into the little blond boy's psyche. Socially awkward and neglected by the family who invested time and money into him for the sake of their youngest son, Roxas became the embodiment of what a true spare was supposed to be defined as. He held no ill-will towards his original self, Sora, if anything, he was almost proud to be the flamboyant brunet's spare. Despite Cloud's persistence in keeping them separated, Sora continued to be Roxas' friend, amusing the blond each and every time the brunet defied his brother in order to be close to him, the boy who was destined to sacrifice his life all for the sake of strengthening the survival of his original.

oooo

"Welcome to our new house, bro!" Reno yelled at the top of his lungs the moment he stepped out of the car with outstretched arms.

Climbing out from the passenger's side, Axel yawned apathetically, oblivious and uninterested in his new surroundings. The two brothers had recently moved to Hollow Bastion from Radiant Garden, which was about nines hour away by car between the two cities. Reno was clearly enthusiastic about starting a new chapter in their lives as opposed to his high school graduate of a younger brother who had no such plans to attend college, yet. It was a fresh start, one Reno believed that Axel needed.

A minute later, the moving truck pulled up into their new driveway just behind their vehicle. Seeing the amount of stuff packed away in both cars, the two brothers realized just how much work needed to be done.

Three hours of moving boxes and furniture from the truck to the house was torture.

Axel's constant complaining could be compared to that of a moaning banshee—if only worse since he refused to stay silent. His constant grumbling got so bad that it finally pushed his older brother to the limit, which was why he had been kicked out of the house for the time being so that Reno would be able to properly arrange the house in peace with the movers and without his little brother around to whine.

Standing in the crowd driveway with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his straight jeans, Axel's gaze fell to the ground and he concentrated on kicking a stone at his feet with the tips of his worn out combat boots. The rock went rolling across the sidewalk and he followed after it each time until he accidentally kicked it into the road, thus losing sight of his sorry excuse of passing the time.

He missed Radiant Garden, he missed his former friends and the sights and sounds that the downtown had to offer but an ugly brawl between him and his friends sent him running with his tail hanging between his legs. He was pretty much public enemy number one in his circle of delinquents, something he wasn't too proud of. Sure he was old enough to support himself at this point and he did juggle several jobs throughout his years in high school but Reno was the only family that he had left in the world. Without friends around like before, all because of his stupidity it would have been a lonely life in his hometown.

Because they were now living in a cul-de-sac in a new area, Axel knew close to nothing about their new home. He liked that they managed to get a bigger place but he was still experiencing that sullen mood a person usually gets when they move into unfamiliar territory. With nowhere to really venture off to and the mover's trunk blocking the car from getting out of the driveway, he settled for just walking around the neighbor like a merry-go-round in a continuous circle. By the time Axel made it around to his forth lap, he felt twice as bored, and even more petulant than before. Just as he was about to pull out the lighter he kept in his back pocket, the strum of a violin caused him to stop mid-way from wrapping his fingers around the small device.

It was a beautiful melody, beginning softly at first but growing steadily in rhythm and bolder in volume. Who was playing it, he wondered? Turning round and round in place, Axel searched, listening carefully to where it could be coming from and followed the enticing sound.

His feet moved of their own accord, following along to the music of the violin being played into the air. Surprisingly he found himself within a close distance of his new house, but instead of returning inside he looked to the white colored home residing just to the left. It was here, Axel was sure of it. Reno had no interest in classical music so there would be no reason for the source to be there back at home.

Without any further assumptions, Axel strolled right on through the yard of his neighbor's house to where the sound of the violin was being played. Coming around the side of the building, he looked up to see a white balcony just above him and there he spotted the mysterious violinist with their back turned to him.

The music being played quickened in pace and Axel watched the musician's white coat flutter as they suddenly twirled to reveal the face of a youthful blond haired boy. The redhead stood there frozen in his place, venom green eyes staring solely at the ignorant violinist playing atop of the veranda. The boy swayed to and fro, his body moving along with the melody he played on his instrument. He had his eyes closed but even so, Axel still found him beautiful, along with the glasses that sat at the bridge of his nose—it made him all the more adorable, even from a distance in the redhead's opinion.

All Axel could do was listen to the music being played by the little blond musician, content blissfully filling his entire being. He half expected the violinist to suddenly come out with an alternative rock based composition only because he was so used to his former best friend, Demyx pulling stunts like that but no, the blond played a sound of his own within unforeseen boundaries of the classics. It screamed something, an emotion that Axel couldn't very well pinpoint. It was as if the music was hiding its true self within a complex web of feelings too muddled and disorganized to be fully understood unless he took the time to sit down, dissect it and discuss the matter of it with the musician himself. If he were told the title of the piece, it would probably help him find a better understanding of what the boy was playing and trying to convey in his music. Nonetheless, the song still managed to pull at Axel's heartstrings and it felt as though he had fallen in love, as ludicrous as that sounds.

As the music came to a close, the boy sighed contently, his lips turned into near transparent smile that Axel almost missed. Seeing that he had stopped playing, the redhead took his chance and yelled.

"Hey! My name's Axel!"

The redhead's earth shattering voice stunned the blond out of his trance and he gasped with surprise. Panicked, he quickly placed his violin down so as not to damage the expensive instrument and immediately ran over to the edge of his balcony. Leaning slightly over the railing, he spotted the disturbance, a tall, red haired stranger, one he had never seen before in his life standing just below him.

"You are a great violinist!" Axel added, causing the blond to stare silently at him with big blue eyes and flustered cheeks.

"T-thank you." He replied timidly.

Tilting his head, Axel arched a brow at him, "Say that again?"

"I-I uh—I said thank you!" the blond yelled this time. Realizing the volume in which he spoke in, he quickly covered his mouth and ducked shyly.

Axel chuckled under his breath, amused by the blonde's bashfulness, "Now that's more I like," He grinned, "Tell me, what's your name kid?"

"My name?" he asked, naively pointing to himself.

"Yeah, your name," Axel said again, "Can you please tell me your name?"

"It's Roxas."

oooo

"Riku!" Sora shouted as he threw his arms around the silverette's neck.

The impact knocks the wind right out of him but he doesn't care. Falling back against the tile floor beneath their feet, he wrapped his arms around the brunet's waist, hugging him close to his body. They land none to gracefully, Riku groaning in pain but it's a good pain, the kind of pain he wouldn't mind experiencing again and again as long as it meant that he would be allowed to hold the bubbly boy in his arms each and every time.

"Ah! Riku, I'm sorry!" Sora exclaimed.

Scrambling to his feet, he yanked the silverette right back up, surprising the older boy by the sudden sheer of strength he shockingly possessed.

"It's alright Sora, don't worry about it," Riku mused, his hand running up to rest atop of the boy's spikey bed of brown hair. "I'm guessing you had a checkup today?"

"Yeah, I did but Roxas had to donate blood for me again. He's really tired right now…"

"It's to be expected Sor, he can't help that he's a spare and neither can I…" he replied sadly.

"Riku don't say that, please don't degrade yourself, both you and Roxas."

The silverette sighed, he should have known better than to say _'that'_ word in front of the brunet, but it had been a mistake, a slip of the tongue on his part and now he regretted it.

"You and Roxas are more than just spares, you live and breathe just like everyone else!"

'_Oh no,' _Riku thought. Sora was beginning to yell and there would be no stopping him from going on a rampage discussion about his idealism on the topic of spares.

"Sora, I think you should—"

"—it isn't right! Look at me, Riku!" he exclaimed, his hand jetting out to grasp the other's larger hand as he placed it against his chest just right above his heart, "You feel it don't you? My heart."

Nodding slowly, the silverette swallowed nervously. The feeling of the brunet's beating muscle just inches beneath his hand felt exhilarating. It was so close and yet still so far.

It was then that Sora pressed his palm into Riku's own chest and he felt the spare's heart thumping wildly. They stood there, their hands entwined, bodies connected and feeling for the beats of each other's hearts. The look on the brunet's face was one of the most serious expression's that Riku had ever seen before. In comparison, it was almost embarrassing on his part because he lacked the drive to retain his usually cold stoic face now that his aqua colored eyes fell to the ground in shame.

"I have a heart and so do you. Every second it beats symbolizes that we are still alive and breathing. You aren't just a spare, Riku. You have every right to live just as much as I do."

Shaking his head sadly, Riku placed a finger against the other's lips.

"That's enough now," he said, smiling that sad smile, the same smile that Roxas always gave him. "I know how you feel, I appreciate your kind words and I'm very sure that Roxas feels the same way too but Sora, it's just not as simple as you make it out to be."

Even if they were out in public at the hospital, Sora couldn't help the tears that began to collect themselves in his ocean blue eyes.

oooo

Since their first encounter that day, Axel and Roxas became as thick as thieves. They were three years apart, Axel being just nineteen and Roxas a young sixteen year old himself. The age gap didn't stop them from pursuing a friendship, of course and Sora encouraged his spare every day not to lose sight of how precious his newfound friendship was.

Roxas no longer felt as lonely as before, especially with Axel always knocking on the door each day to spend time with him. He learned that the redhead was a lover of music, just like him and he could play the piano and guitar with expert skill.

Suddenly, whenever Roxas felt tired, he began making a habit of cuddling the older boy so that he could listen to the redhead play music for him, especially on the guitar that he came to love. It was an act of innocence, one he didn't know any better and though Axel understood the blonde's actions, the redhead couldn't help but feel that there was a hidden meaning behind it.

On several occasions they collaborated together, creating their own compositions that harmonized in a way that represented them both individually but also as musical partners. They played mostly for themselves but from time to time they held an audience that consisted of either Sora or Reno, sometimes even both. Roxas had even invited Cloud to listen to them but the older Strife refused each and every time much to his disappointment.

Over the course of just a few months, Roxas' life experience took an expansive turn thanks to Axel. Throughout the bulk of his sixteen years of existence, twelve of which were spent in seclusion inside of the Strife house, Roxas never thought about the mechanics of the outside world. Sure, he had Sora around to tell him stories about adventures to places he had never been to before and yes, it intrigued him but it didn't have enough spark to ignite the fires of his interest. It was most certainly due to his implanted thought process of being a spare, which tended to make him more or less like a zombie according to his brunet haired counterpart. Luckily, Sora didn't have to worry anymore for his spare due to the raw, invasive personality that was Axel.

It took a ridiculous amount of pushing and shoving on Axel's part to convince Roxas to do anything else other than play music and for once in his life, the blond protested. It made Axel feel relieved that he was finally beginning to break away from his comfort zone. Just like that, Roxas was quickly thrust into a world completely outside of his norm, being made to try new things like shopping, skateboarding and tasting exotic delicacies like Atlantican fish and chips or Traverse Town style street food.

Being out in the open, defenseless and vulnerable in the outside world, Roxas was fascinated. Not only that but with Axel there beside him every step of the way, it seemed as though the very world could be held in the palm of his hands. With every turn, every new perspective he was given, Roxas stared in awe like a curious kitten and it made Axel all the more proud to watch the blond from a distance.

It made the Roxas' heart soar to great heights whenever he was in the redhead's presence. He couldn't remember a time where he had been so happy before in his life and it was astonishing how quickly the two of them were able to establish such a strong bond. His friendship with Axel was on a completely different level compared to the one he shared with Sora and at some point, it became clear to him how deeply he began to feel about his new friend.

Though Axel was relatively open about himself to the younger blond, Roxas wasn't entirely honest and that the one thing he didn't tell his new friend was the fact that he was a spare.

oooo

"Does Axel know yet?"

"Know what?"

"You know? About you and me."

"What do you mean by that? He knows we're related."

"No, not like that."

A sigh was heard over his shoulder, making the blonde's body suddenly tense up with fearful anticipation. He could already imagine the childlike pout on the brunet's face as guilt washed over him.

"I meant, does he know about our relationship as an original and spare."

"No..." Roxas' admitted quietly, his voice waning as his face suddenly dipped into a sad frown.

"You haven't told him?" Sora asked again, receiving a slow shake of the head from the blond sitting on the floor.

The brunet rolled onto his stomach, eying his blond counterpart carefully. The younger boy was on the floor with his back pressed up against the side of the bed while he himself had taken over the mattress. Laying his face into the cool comforter, Sora sighed sadly this time, clearly disappointed with the blond.

"I should have known that you would keep it a secret."

Bringing his knees close to his chest, Roxas hugged his legs tightly. Hiding his face against them, he mumbled softly but loud enough for only the brunet to hear. "Sora, what if he'll hate me? You know as well as I do how much spares are looked down upon… we are hardly even considered human… and besides you, he is my very first friend…"

"Roxas, I'm sure he's different." Sora replied reassuringly but the expression he wore began to fade. He was only lucky that Roxas didn't look over his shoulder to see the hypocrisy written over his face and he breathed a mental sigh at that. Really, who was he to say something like that so easily?

"Even if he is different as you say, it doesn't change the fact that I'm still a spare…" Roxas murmured miserably.

There was a hidden meaning strung behind his words and if Sora truly was as naïve as he made himself out to be, it wouldn't have caused him to tear up so badly.

For once in his whole entire life, Roxas felt a distressing wrench in his chest that squeezed at him and filled his heart with despair. He had always felt an immense amount of pride for being a spare, especially to the beautiful and kind brown haired boy beside him but now he resented it. There was hardly ever an ounce of rebellion in his nature and it frightened the blond greatly to feel such strong emotions all of a sudden. He never imagined his life ever finding normalcy but since having met Axel, the thought of being with him, being able to live and continue on with his life without the reminders of being a _spare_—the dream, it felt so close and yet at the same time it was still so far from his reach.

Inching his body closer towards edge of the bed to the distraught blond boy before him, Sora rested his chin atop of the other's shoulder. Pressing his cheek against soft blond hair, he nuzzled into the wheat colored tresses, his arms slowly moving to encircle his spare into a tight embrace.

Roxas didn't say anything even when he felt the hot tears fall and make contact with his bare neck. The two stayed that way for a long time, Sora holding him tightly from behind until Roxas finally brought himself up to his feet to join his counterpart on the bed. They laid there side by side, staring at each other in silence with their fingers entwined tightly together until sleep overcame them well into the night.

After that day, Roxas refused to see Axel ever again. He didn't give the redhead prior warning either and at the same time he lost the will to pick up and play his violin from that moment on.

oooo

Cloud had felt more than just a little uncomfortable when Axel began showing his face around the Strife household. The older boy was trouble—with his wild long red hair, facial tattoos and the rock music he played on that confounded guitar he brought with him every day that Roxas seemed to adore now thanks to him. There was not a moment of silence that he could enjoy anymore, no soft melody from a single violin now that Axel was strumming constantly both in his home and from the garage of his own house with the speakers turned up high.

The very idea of Roxas having any friends to begin with was trifling in Cloud's belief; the boy was a spare for god's sake and it was worrisome to him as it was. He already had little to no control over his younger brother's insistent visitations to the blonde's bedroom and now that a hooligan like Axel was constantly visiting Roxas, it made life at home all the more complicated than it already was to begin with. He almost thought that he would have to lay down the law with Roxas but when the blond suddenly refused to see their redheaded neighbor one day, Cloud almost felt smug that the spare hadn't forgotten about his purpose after all.

Though he watched out for the blond haired spare from a safe distance, a nagging feeling ate away at his heart and he reminisced on the memories that constantly plagued him.

oooo

"Hey buddy, why the long face?" Reno asked as he threw an arm around his younger brother's shoulder.

"It's Roxas…"

"Having a little trouble in paradise I see?"

"It's not like that Reno," Axel glared before shoving the other's arm away.

"Sure it isn't," he teased but the look on the other redhead's face made him bite back his tongue with a feeling of regret for mouthing off without thinking. "Alright, what happened?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing at all," Axel said, his eyes glaring at the ground.

"Are you sure? When was the last time you saw him?" Reno asked, his curiosity climbing towards the peek now.

"Two maybe three weeks ago?" He speculated. Honestly, after eight months of living in Hollow Bastion he couldn't remember a day when he wasn't with Roxas but now that the blond was avoiding him, the memories of their last encounter suddenly felt too distant for him to recall.

"That long huh? Have you tried talking to him about it?"

"Of course I've tried!" Axel yelled, his temper on the rise. "I've tried for days on end but he refuses to talk to me! Not even Sora can get through to him from what I'm aware of… I don't even hear him play the violin anymore, I just—I have no idea why he's even avoiding me, I can't tell if it's my fault and Sora won't tell me anything else… I don't know what to do to fix this…"

Reno stared sadly at him, upset by how much his brother was hurting. Rubbing his fingers nervously against his scalp for a moment, he approached the younger redhead slowly before placing a hand on his shoulder to give it a firm squeeze.

"Just give it more time bro, maybe there's something going on that he isn't quite comfortable with talking about yet so you shouldn't go forcing your way into the line of fire, okay?"

Staring blankly, Axel sighed dejectedly but nodded in response nonetheless.

"Fine, whatever you say."

oooo

In the months that followed, Sora's health was slowly declining in front of everyone's very eyes with each day that passed. Though he displayed his usual bout of cheerfulness and glee to the world around him, even Roxas couldn't deny the amount of anguish that tore at him to watch as his counterpart suffered internally. Despite the worries that surrounded him, the younger Strife continued to laugh in the face of his failing condition, using his façade to stall the inevitable that would befall his beloved spare.

There was no Axel around anymore, no music of any kind to fill the eerie silence of the large house. It felt uncomfortably empty and it irked Sora to no end so to substitute the lack of activity in his home; he began taking Roxas with him to visit Riku at the hospital.

The silverette didn't particularly mind an extra visitor but it made the visitations awkward since Roxas was more of a wallflower in comparison to his animated original. Sometimes, he didn't even notice the blond in the room and by the end of the day when the two boys left him, he felt guilty for being blindsided and not including the other spare in whatever conversation he had been engaged in with Sora. Despite their lack of interaction though, there was no doubt in Riku's mind that Roxas understood his feelings and from then on he began making an effort to try to reach out to him more.

In the following spring, the time finally arrived for both Sora and Roxas to undergo their very first operation together, an event that the brunet had tried so desperately to delay. It was more than apparent that both boys were beyond terrified, Sora more so than the other.

Wearing a sad expression, Roxas took everything in with strive, being the support beam that Sora needed during their time of misery. Putting up such a front like that was quite brave of Roxas to endure for the brunet's sake in Riku's mind. Still, he wished that it was him that Sora ran to instead but a relationship between an original and spare, one that was much like Sora and Roxas' ran deep and it was something that the silverette respected enough not to interfere with no matter how much he wanted to.

The day before the operation, Riku tried to comfort the other spare as best he could. It was surprising on his part, even to Roxas since the silverette was hardly known for being the encouraging type. Nevertheless, he wanted to ease the pain Roxas was feeling inside since he himself had been petrified before experiencing his first operation a year ago. It was all that the silverette could really do for the younger boy, and he wanted him to know that spares needed to stick together through thick and thin. Even though he had always been alone and was nowhere near on par in his relationship with his original like Roxas, Riku held the belief that spares needed to understand that they weren't alone in this world, a belief that Sora helped him discover over the years.

Roxas truly appreciated the other's kind words; he really did despite the gap he knew was laid out between them. Though he didn't look it, Roxas was truly frightened to go under the knife but this was what he had been created for and it was his pride as a spare that allowed him to swallow his fears and press forward with what little dignity he had left in him.

That day Roxas gave up one of his kidneys to Sora and despite it being possible to continue surviving with just one of the organs, he was still left frail and exhausted as a result of the surgery. Unfortunately upon their return home a week later, Axel finally discovered the truth of what Roxas really was and it pained the blond terribly to watch his dear friend crumble in front of him.

"What happened to you, Roxas? Did you get sick? Was that why you were avoiding me for so long?"

His heart painfully skipped a beat, his blue eyes staring frantically at the redhead who stood at the end of the driveway. Biting his tongue, Roxas quickly looked away to avoid seeing the worry laced in the other's bright green eyes. No, he didn't want to see him, not now, not when he was so defenseless like this but even so there was nowhere for him to run to without the other boy giving chase and he knew in that moment that the jig was up and that there was no way he could run away from the redhead any longer.

Shaking his head, Roxas' small pale hands gripped the arms of his wheel chair nervously, his short nails clawing against the tough leather material. He knew this day would have come eventually, he just wished that it had been under better circumstances than this.

"Axel, I'm a spare."

It was probably mere coincidence that the wind decided to breeze through, creating a wistful silence between them that became uncomfortably intense. Roxas waited for the redhead to reply, waited for the information he finally shared to sink in so that he could be rejected and hated.

"Excuse me?" Axel finally asked, his voice marred, almost trembling with fear that didn't go unnoticed to Roxas.

This was it, he thought.

"I'm sure you are aware of what society has defined people who are called 'spares' as, it isn't hard to guess."

The older boy couldn't believe what he was hearing. The petite blond in front of him, who sat in a wheel chair, was a young boy, hardly a man and to discover this 'alternate ego', it felt beyond devastating to the redhead. Deep inside, he could feel his heart begin to chip and crack—hurting him and making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

"So then, Sora is—"

"He's my original and I'm his spare."

"But I thought you two were—"

"Brothers? Cousins? No, Cloud and Sora are brothers, I'm just another mouth to feed in their home and tool to use for when Sora needs me."

"Stop—"

"I'm a spare, a clone of Sora that will help him survive—"

"Stop it, Roxas—"

"I'm not even human, I'm a—"

"I said stop it Roxas!" Axel finally screamed at him, causing the blond to tense up with fear as he watched the redhead walk towards him in a blind daze.

This is it, Axel was going to hurt him he thought. Trembling in his seat, he shut his eyes tightly, frightened to watch the older boy pull back his fist but the hit he had been anticipating did not occur and instead he felt strong arms wrap around him tightly, crushing him against the redhead's firm chest. He was literally shocked now, confused as to why Axel was holding him when he had every right to be angry, every right to hate him for what he did, for what he was.

"Don't you ever say that you aren't human…" Axel murmured into his ear.

The closeness of their bodies made Roxas' spine shiver nervously. When was the last time they had been this close? He couldn't remember and even after the long separation from him, his body molded naturally against the redhead—filling the curves and gaps of his lanky form as he returned the embrace strongly without a second thought.

Nuzzling his face into a bony shoulder, the blonde's body began to shake, nose sniffling as he struggled to contain the tears that he knew were forming in his bright blue eyes.

"Why? I don't understand, I—I'm a lab rat, I wasn't born like you or Sora and—I," he couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. In the next moment his body betrayed him and it shook uncontrollably, allowing his hot tears to flow freely down his pale cheeks.

On and on, he kept chanting, 'why' to Axel but the redhead didn't speak. Instead he rubbed circles into the other's back, trying to calm him down in silence rather than using his words.

Still a shaking, pitiful mess in the redhead's arms, Roxas finally dared himself to look up into the other's face. What he found sent his blue eye's widening, surprised, nervous, and wondering why Axel looked at him with such tenderness and _love_, if that was what it was. He had never seen such an expression on the other's face before and he began to question why the ache in his chest felt different in comparison to the other times he experienced it when he was close to Axel

They stared at each other for quite some time, both of them silent until Axel produced his cell from his right jean pocket. Sliding a fingertip over the screen, it unlocked and he turned it over for Roxas to see, only to reveal his wallpaper. It was a cellphone picture of him and Axel on the clock tower from when the redhead dragged him out to Twilight Town to try sea salt ice cream just for the heck of it. That day in particular, they had snuck up the back stairs of the train station to watch the sunset from the tower, it was one of the most beautiful sights of Mother Nature Roxas had ever seen before and he had been so happy then, especially to see it with Axel by his side.

He didn't understand why his friend had such an intimate picture of them as his wallpaper. He half expected it to be of a car or a pretty girl but no, it was a picture taken during a special moment they shared. It made Roxas all the more confused, curious even and the ache in his chest that he felt, it was beginning to race with an odd sense of anxiousness.

"I don't care if you were born in a tube. I don't care that you weren't created naturally. You may be manmade in every anatomic aspect but you have to realize that you're alive and breathing just like me. Look at yourself, look at this picture and tell me the truth—when you were with me, did you ever think of yourself as a spare?"

Staring at the picture and then at Axel, Roxas contemplated long and hard. The older boy could see the blond coil up in his seat, eyes dropping down to stare at his lap and take interest in his shoes.

"Roxas, please answer me."

"No," Roxas squeaked.

"No, what?"

"When I was with you, I didn't think of myself as a spare," Biting his lower lip, he slowly managed to lock eyes with Axel. Gathering what little courage he had left in himself, Roxas let his feelings escape from the prison he created in himself. "You made me forget about what I was, Axel and for once in my life I felt like a normal person…"

"Roxas…" he whispered softly, reaching a hand out to cup the blonde's cheek.

"I felt like I was living a normal life like everyone else, I felt so happy being with you, Axel but I can't, I can't forget my purpose, my reason for being alive. I distanced myself from you because I was scared of you finding out about me, about what I am. I thought that you wouldn't accept me so I—"

Closing the gap between them, Axel hugged the blond again. Tucking the younger boy's head under his chin, he closed his eyes.

"It's okay, Roxas, it's okay…"

From the second story window, Sora watched the scene unfold from above. Despite him being so tired, he managed to bring his lips into a soft smile before trudging down the hall towards the sanctum of his bedroom to rest his exhausted body.

* * *

**A/N: **I had to cut this into two parts, mainly because I wanted to get this out but also because this was longer than I intended it to be and I didn't want to keep this in the dark for too long. I have about seven pages done for part two and I'm working on and off on it most of the time so hopefully I can finish by the end of the week. I'm far behind on my other Akuroku stories too but I'm not sure when I can get to them yet ;w; I hope you all enjoyed this part and please do tell me your thoughts, questions or concerns (':


	2. Part 2

**The Spare**

**Part 2**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Square Enix.

**Warning:** Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships and whatever, you know all that good stuff, AU and also some mild OOC-ness… character death. There will be various time skips as well. If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.

**Summary:** The year is 2210 and scientists have discovered a way to lengthen the normal life span of the average human being through the creation of 'spares', human clones that are raised in order for their organs to be harvested and transplanted back into their original persons. Roxas Strife is one such spare and has dedicated his life to become Sora Strife's key to survival but when Axel Flynn enters the picture, he learns just what it means to truly be alive.

**Pairings:** Axel x Roxas & Sora x Riku with hints of Sora x Roxas and Cloud x Leon

**Music:** "Fiction" by B2ST & "Very Important You" by B2ST

**A/N: **I keep thinking that I can make it and finish it all in one go but it just keeps looking longer and longer the more I write. This won't be the end after all guys, because new ideas and sequences in this story just keep adding on. There will be a part 3!

I'd also like to thank the guest reviewer for telling me their input. I'm sorry if that one detail was displeasing to you and I won't make up excuses to justify the mistake that was made on my part, you're right, I goofed up there. I will say that I did try to work around it by rearranging my wording after you told me your opinion, but it's all that I'm able to do. I can't appease everyone but I do take a lot of consideration to what my readers have to say about my writing and storyline. Thank you again, anon.

& Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this, I hope you'll leave some goodies behind for me to read later, it means a lot to me :')

-x-x-x-x-

Axel and Roxas resumed their friendship after that day much to Sora's joy but there was something different between them that went unspoken but could be easily seen in the way they interacted with one another. It wasn't an awkward sense where they weren't as close of friends anymore, on the contrary it was quite the opposite in fact.

Being confined even more to the house due to his immobility, Axel took to visiting Roxas on a regular basis. That part was normal until Sora caught the two of them snuggling on the blonde's bed through a gap in the door. In the course of just a few days after returning from the hospital, the redhead was immensely protective of Roxas' wellbeing, even more so than before. The brunet thought that it was downright adorable and on occasion when he and Roxas were alone, he'd take a moment to tease his poor spare about it.

While Sora's strength was rejuvenating, Roxas' was slowly dwindling. It was the fate that eventually befell all spares and the brunet hated the reverse effect between them.

Visiting Riku in his hospital room two weeks later, Sora was saddened to learn about the silverette being scheduled for another operation in the coming summer. He tried to mask his unhappiness by acting livelier than usual but Riku saw through him and yet he didn't say a word to indicate the brunet's forced bout of excitement.

"You should have seen them Ku, all cuddled up against each other on the bed like that."

"I think I would have to pass on a sight like that to be honest," He chuckled lightly.

"What? Why? It was so romantic! And Axel had his guitar out too! He was playing softly and I could tell that Roxas liked it—No! He loved it, I know he does!"

"The imagery is nice and all Sora, but it's really unnecessary for you or me to invade on their private moment," Riku tried to scold.

"Oh but Ku, it's irresistible!" Sora whined.

"I know, I know it's um… 'cute'," Riku quoted with his fingers. "But seriously, I don't think they would appreciate a crowd gawking at them while they are being intimate. I mean how would you feel if someone did that to you and the person you liked?"

The brunet blinked, his head tilting sideways as he pondered on his friend's question.

"Well, to be honest I actually wouldn't mind too much, depending on what I'm doing with the other person."

Riku stared at him, a brow arched up curiously. "Are you serious?"

Sora nodded. "Yes! I mean, hypothetically speaking, if it was you and me and we were cuddling, I would want anyone who sees us to know that we're together and that I would kick butt if someone tries to break us apart. Get what I'm saying? Well, I mean that's if we were in a romantic type of relationship…"

The silverette bobbed his head slowly in agreement, his aqua green eyes slightly widened and cheeks tinted pink from blushing.

"Um, Riku are you okay? You don't look so good."

"Uh! Yeah, yeah I'm alright, don't worry about it!" Riku quickly said, his face darting to the side to stare out of the window to avoid giving the brunet anymore indications of the nervousness decorated clearly on his usually passive face.

Little did Riku know, Sora smiled knowingly at him, wondering if whether or not the silverette could identify the hidden meaning behind his analogy.

oooo

The first time they kissed, it was by complete accident.

All Roxas wanted was to feel the carpet under his feet again, to walk freely and travel without the aid of the confounded wheel chair he was required to sit in until he was fully recovered. Unfortunately with Axel as his caretaker most of the time, it was hard for Roxas to try and prove to his friend that he felt better.

After long torturous hours, day in and day out without being able to stretch his limbs, one thing led to another before Roxas forced himself up on weak legs against Axel's pleas. The blond came crumbling down in seconds and would have fallen flat on his face into the ground had it not been for Axel rushing forward to catch him in time and break his fall for him.

The moment Roxas opened his eyes though, he was met by wide acidic colored green eyes and a pair of dry lips pressed against his own. It took a while for them to realize the position that they were in but even when they pulled away momentarily, they found themselves immersed in the same position once again, only this time with their lips working hungrily against each other and Roxas with his back against the floor instead of Axel.

It was the first time Roxas had ever made out with someone and the first time that Axel had ever felt so giddy from engaging in such weak foreplay as far as making out in only a matter of minutes. He didn't complain though, especially since he braved the dark waters and asked the little blond spare to become his boyfriend an hour later. To his absolute delight, the blond said yes and at that moment he was the happiest man alive.

oooo

Five months of being together in secret was hard work, especially since they were working to keep their newfound relationship away from Cloud's knowledge at all costs. Sora was also in the dark but only because Roxas didn't want to worry him despite Axel believing it was safe for them to tell the brunet. The only one who was well aware of their relationship status was Axel's older brother Reno since he caught the two of them in Axel's room kissing one day but he wasn't the type of person to run off and scream to the world about his brother's new boyfriend so they weren't too worried.

Donating blood to Sora wasn't a big to Roxas since he had been doing it for years but Axel felt otherwise and was almost sick to his stomach to have to accept such a required activity on his boyfriend's list of responsibilities. It was one of the biggest reminders for both him and Axel that Roxas was still a spare and despite them being in an intimate relationship, it didn't change Roxas' role as Sora's donor nor the fact that even if his original's appeared strong his body was still weak.

Seeing his beloved looking so tired and weak, Axel didn't enjoy the feeling of helplessness one bit. Roxas saw the pained look on the redhead's face and so to relieve some of the stress; he laid himself out next to his worried boyfriend and cuddled up against his side.

"Do you regret this, Axel?"

"Regret you cuddling me?" he tried to joke but the humor was dry and only made Roxas look sad much to his dismay.

"No, I meant us."

Sitting up straighter, his green eyes narrowed slightly at the blond and he pulled him up gently into his lap until he had Roxas straddling his waist and looking at him straight in the face.

"Why would you ask that question?"

"Because, you're always unhappy whenever I go to the hospital and you get even more upset when Cloud restricts us which means we end up having to sneak around and I know you don't like that either… It's just—I'm making things complicated for you and I don't want you to—"

Roxas didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, his voice quickly silenced by Axel's lips covering his open mouth. He stared at the redhead in a daze before reciprocating the kiss and they continued their passionate onslaught of tongue, teeth and light hip grinding for a while longer.

Pulling away, their faces just inches apart, they panted breathlessly and felt hot and bothered.

Bringing his fingers up to comb through soft golden tresses of side swept layers of hair, Axel brought the blonde's face down again only to press his lips against the boy's temple. Pulling back, he held Roxas close to him, one hand against the back of his head and the other wrapped gently around his waist.

"I'm sorry if my actions sent you red flags but I'm not going anywhere. I don't regret this at all Roxas, I'm not abandoning our relationship and if I was given the chance to go back in time and choose whether or not I wanted to be with you, I would still go the distance just so that I can have you by my side."

Looking up at him through the lens of his glasses, Roxas cupped the other's face in his small hands, his blue eyes searching. What he found was honesty and it made his heart pound when Axel leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

It made his heart flutter like the delicate wings of a butterfly as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Axel…"

The older boy chuckled softly, his nose rubbing against the blonde's cheek. "Really? I'm glad, because I'm pretty sure that I've been in love with you since the first day I watched you play your violin on the balcony."

oooo

When Axel learned about Roxas' second operation, he was pissed.

A week before the scheduled date while he was visiting the Strife household as usual, Cloud took the redhead aside for a 'heart to heart' chat—one that put both him and Roxas on the edge.

The two men stood across from each other in the backyard with Axel feeling uneasy since the older blond didn't look the least bit happy for some reason. What seemed like hours of awkward silence came to a bitter end when Cloud cleared his throat, catching Axel's attention immediately.

"After today, I don't want to see you here in my home ever again."

Axel's heart stopped for but a second and he stared at the blond with wide eyes, too shocked to answer him just yet.

"You and Roxas probably think that you're very clever, sneaking around behind my back. Well, I'm sorry to tell you that I'm not as clueless as you both first thought. I'm well aware of what kind of relationship the two of you have and I'm not happy about it."

The anger inside was building up and Axel struggled to control his temper from lashing out at the older male. Biting his lower lip, he clenched his fists tightly, his blunt fingernails digging into the soft flesh of his palms. Cloud witnessed the small happenings but didn't feel too worried about being attacked if the younger boy did act on his rage.

"Why are you so concerned about us? What gives you the right to say what Roxas can or can't do?"

"Because," Cloud tried to speak calmly but it didn't come out as convincing as he had hoped and he found his voice shaking, border lining between anger and a sadness that he hadn't felt in years. "For one thing I financed his creation and I signed the papers for complete custody of him which means he is technically my property, Axel. He was made specifically to help maintain Sora's health because he was born with a weak body from the beginning and as his benefactor it's my duty to take care of him—"

"You're not taking care of him at all, that's just a load of bull shit!"

Cloud's eyes widen. Though he was taken aback by the redhead's loud outburst he didn't feel the least bit afraid of him. Instead he waited for the younger male to continue with whatever he wanted to say.

"You lock him up in that house, you don't even want Sora near him and you are trying to keep him away from me! You yourself don't even spend time with him so what makes you think that you're taking care of him, huh? Sure you house him and feed him, but taking care of someone mean's more than just providing the bare essentials that we need to survive! You took away the socialization he needed! You made him into a marionette but I saw past it and pushed him to the limits! He has feelings just like any other human being!"

"He isn't just some spare for you sick asshats to dissect and dismember just so you can have his organs to live longer!" Axel spat, his voice filled with pure venom. "He has genuine emotions, he lives and breathes like you and I! He plays the violin, he loves classical music, he wants to try skateboarding, his favorite dessert is sea salt ice cream, he doesn't like tomatoes, spiders or snakes and he loves me just as much as I love him!" he screamed.

There was so much more to say to Cloud but he couldn't think of the right words that he needed to string together anymore. His head felt like it was spinning and he hoped, he really hoped that Cloud would have a change of heart but unfortunately the disapproved shake of the Strife's head told him that it just wasn't enough.

"I was afraid that you would say something like that."

"Wha—What do you mean? Did you not hear what I just said?"

"I heard you loud and clear and I have to ask you this, why did you allow yourself to fall in love with a spare? It's insane. Drop your relationship with Roxas immediately, it'll only hurt you the longer you two stay together." Cloud said firmly, his blue eyes cold and piercing.

"Did you not hear me? He loves me and I love him! I'm not leaving him for anything, especially at your request!"

The older Strife snapped and before Axel knew it, he was jerked forward by the collar of his shirt, held up off the ground just inches into the air whilst staring into the most placid yet irate face he had ever seen before in his life.

"I'm not requesting, I'm demanding you to leave him! You have no idea what you're getting yourself into!"

Cloud shook him almost violently. Gasping from the surprise of being suddenly jerked, Axel couldn't bring himself to say anything back, too speechless by the sheer angry reflected in the older man's gaze.

"Do you know what happens to spares in the end? They become weak, they get sick and in the end they die," Cloud hissed almost desperately.

In the spur of the moment, memories from years ago wisped through his consciousness, invading every nook and cranny and taking over whatever thoughts he had. The flashes of long dancing chocolate brown hair, indecipherable stormy blue eyes, a jagged scar across a pale slender face and an all knowing smirk was all that he saw and for a second, Cloud faltered.

Soon, Axel found himself being thrown back until he tripped on his own feet. Falling flat on his bottom, he sat there on the patio with wide eyes looking up at the older blond. He seemed confused, distraught to the point of where even Axel was feeling worried about him as he held his head in his hands but that quickly changed and Cloud glared down coldly at him.

"Leave Roxas while you still can, especially for your own sake."

It was the last thing Cloud said before he left the redhead to his own devices, locking him out of the house in the process.

Hidden behind the red curtain, next to the open window by the sliding door, Sora stood there with pure disbelief painted on his face as he watched his older brother walk calmly across the room to his private study upstairs. Curled up on the couch with a pillow pressed up against his face, Sora could see his blond counterpart's shaking form. They couldn't help but feel the need to eavesdrop on the conversation between Cloud and Axel and now, Sora regretted doing it more than ever.

oooo

Sora and Roxas undertook their second transplant together but subsequently things did not return to normal after the confrontation between Cloud and Axel like the brunet had hoped.

The redhead didn't return to the house, not even once to visit the boys when they were finally released from the hospital, making it evident to Sora and Roxas that he took heed to Cloud's words. He wasn't seen at all, not from the windows or out in the town and Reno gave no information on the whereabouts of his younger brother, even at Sora's request. It was a heartbreaking experience, and it put an emotional strain on Roxas which in turn discouraged Sora greatly to see his beloved spare in such a pitiful state.

Roxas hadn't been able to give the older boy he came to love a proper good bye, something he wished so dearly to do. On another note, his confinement to the house was even more consequential than before and it didn't allow him the freedoms he once had with Axel months beforehand. Isolated in his room with no motivation to play his violin, let alone speak or do anything else other than sleep, his dear original couldn't bring him to smile during his darkest hours—not once.

To Sora's horror, Roxas began to fall sickly and weak, all due to their second transplant and with Axel gone, the stress only added to his blond counterpart's illness. From a distance, Cloud watched passingly as his younger brother sat up with his spare, keeping the younger blond company throughout the day and on occasion through the night. He didn't have the heart to stop the brunet anymore, not when he had already taken the spare's heart away and broken it in half. To him, it was as if history was repeating itself in the most torturous of ways and this time he was the cause.

oooo

When Cloud leaves for a business trip two months later after the transplant, it is the first time that Axel breaks into their house with every intention of seeing Roxas.

He knocked on the balcony door, his knuckles tapping insistently against the glass. He hoped to dear god that Roxas would open the door for him but to his dismay he didn't hear a thing or feel any form of vibrations on the ground to indicate the bodily movement of the boy on the other side.

Feeling impatient as ever, Axel ended up picking the lock on the door. He didn't have time to wait around, not when he had so much to say. Hearing a successful click, he snuck inside as fast and as quietly as he could before walking the distance across the room to the bed. There he found Roxas asleep but was disheartened to see him so pale looking and thinner than before. The redhead didn't know what happened in the time he didn't see the spare but it was all the more reason for him to feel even guiltier for not visiting him for so long.

Gently placing a hand against the other's cheek, Axel rubbed his thumb slowly along the dark bags beneath the blonde's right eye.

The gesture gradually woke the blond up and before he knew what was happening he was staring up into Axel's sad looking face.

"A-axel?" he squeaked, his body too tired to make the effort to sit up in bed.

The redhead choked back a muffled cry, teeth digging into his lower lip as he sank forward to wrap shaking arms around the younger boy's body. "I'm so sorry Roxas…"

"Axel…" Roxas grunted as his arms winded slowly but surely around the others body, his fingers clawing weakly against Axel's back. "I missed you… I missed you so much…"

"I know," Axel managed to say, his face buried in the other's wheat blond hair. "I'm sorry, please I'm sorry…"

"Axel…" he said again, this time bringing the redhead's face into his hands.

"Roxas?"

Smiling weakly, Roxas pressed forward with what little strength he had, just so that he could kiss Axel's lips for the first time in months. The action was electrifying and the redhead took to it in seconds. He was careful not to crush the blond during their heated make out session but it was difficult to stay in control of himself.

"I forgive you." Roxas managed to breath against the other's lips before pressing his lips forward again for more.

The message stunned Axel for a second. He knew very well at this point that Roxas forgave him but he still couldn't help the pang of guilt deep inside.

Even in his weakened state, Roxas managed to procure a sharp groan from the redhead as he rolled his hips. It made him smirk against the other's lips which didn't go unnoticed. Releasing one last moan, Axel pulled away so that he could nip along his neck and collar.

"I won't be able to control myself if you keep pushing me along like this, Roxas…"

"What if I want you to continue dominating me?"

Looking up at the other's face, Axel could see the exhaustion that had once been there was replaced by something else—something called mischief. Groaning, he sighed, lips hovering above the smaller body before kissing the blonde's hairline instead of his lips.

"I'm not going to lie, I want to ravish you, I want to make love to you right here, right now but I can't do it… Look at yourself, you're sick and weak—I just can't, I'm afraid I'll hurt you if I do it."

"If not now, then when?" he asked.

Placing his forehead gently against the others, Axel smiled and pecked the blonde's nose. "One day, I promise you but now isn't the right time."

"Okay," There was disappointment in his voice, Axel could tell but he gave the boy another peck, this time rewarding him on the lips for his understanding and reassuring him that this wasn't the end.

The two of them settled in the bed, bodies curled up as closely as they could possibly get. A wave of fatigue had Roxas nodding off every few seconds but he fought the sleepiness long enough to inform the older boy of important news he had.

"Axel?"

"Hm?"

"Cloud told me, that when I'm eighteen I'll be scheduled for my third and final transplant… Depending on whether or not I'll survive on the operating table, the process will repeat itself again and I'll be due for my fourth by the time I'm twenty."

Axel's hold on Roxas tightened; it wasn't the gentle kind and felt more or less possessive. Growling softly, Axel's teeth gritted together in frustration and it caused Roxas to look up at him worriedly. "I hate him… I hate him for treating you like this, like you're just some rag doll that can be thrown around and torn apart…" he hissed bitterly.

"Axel…"

"I don't care what he says, if he's trying to save me from the pain of losing you in the end, he can shove it up his ass!" the redhead said rather loudly, his face hidden in the crook of the blonde's neck. "I can't, I just can't let you go, I won't…" his voice cracked, it made Roxas' wince but he held on tighter to the redhead for dear life.

"I won't leave you to suffer in this life alone, Roxas… I won't abandon you, I won't…" he whispered softly as he felt the younger boy press his face up against his chest.

Roxas hid his torn expression from Axel. He didn't know how to react and it made his heart ache all of a sudden.

Lifting the blonde's face up to his, Axel stared deeply into the boy's once bright blue eyes. He remembered how much life had shone, how they sparkled and danced whenever he was happy, whenever something—anything caught his interest. Oh how he regretted how much he hadn't been there for the beautiful boy in his arms and it just broke him to see the state that he was in.

"Run away with me."

"What?"

"I'm asking you to run away with me, Roxas."

Scrambling weakly, he swallowed nervously, almost shaking his head in disbelief. "You can't be serious…"

"I am," Axel replied as he too sat up on the bed. Releasing a heavy sigh his gaze fell to the blanket before moving back up to look at the younger boy again. "Just listen to me. In the time we were apart, I went back home to Radiant Garden."

"Radiant Garden? Why?"

"I went back home so that I could apologize to the people I hurt before I came to live here in Hollow Bastion."

Roxas didn't understand what the redhead was trying to explain. _'Apologize for what?'_ he thought to himself. Whatever the reason, it was something about Axel that he didn't know but he was willing to wait and listen if the man he loved was going to put his trust in him with whatever information he was about to share.

Axel fidgeted in place, his thin lips pouting every now and again. He was nervous, scared even since he wasn't sure just how well Roxas would respond. "Before we met, I was a delinquent I guess..."

Tilting his head, all Roxas could do was stare uncomprehendingly at him but he didn't say a word, thus allowing Axel to continue on.

"All I cared about were my friends, the music we made and the parties we'd go to. It was the life, my life style and I lived it hard," Pausing he took a deep breath. "It's obvious that I let all of the popularity my friends and I had get to my head and when you're pretty much the life of the party, the girls, the drugs and alcohol just makes you feel like a king... I abused the power that I had and basically became an all-around asshole because of it and I regret it…"

"You're not like that anymore though, Axel. At least from what I've gathered. A lot can change in the time you've been here since then, and I believe that you've changed, and for the better," Roxas said, his small hands reaching out to grasp the redhead's clenched fists.

Nodding slowly, Axel gave him the tiniest of smiles. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I would have thought I'd have changed because of my friend Demyx but all along, it was you. You were the one that changed me, Roxas," Chuckling softly, he released his balled up fist until his fingers uncurled. Holding the blonde's smaller hands in his open palms, he engulfed the other's thin fingers with his own, interlacing them tightly together.

"How? How did I change you?" Roxas questioned, unsure of how his influence could have swayed Axel into such a profound way. "I'm just a spa—"

"Don't you even dare say it," Axel warned, his green eyes slightly narrowed at him.

Gulping, Roxas turned his gaze off to the side. "O-okay, but still…"

"Look, moving here, I was ready to face the world with a bitter outlook, to set it on fire and spread my misery to everyone around me but seeing you on that balcony, playing your violin with so much passion, I was reminded of how I used to be the same way. Your song, it was powerful it opened my eyes and woke me up. At first I didn't understand it but now I know it was calling out to me, telling me to come and save you. I may have been broken at the time, but I couldn't bring myself to just let you pass me by so I picked myself up again. More than anything, I'm certain that I've loved you even before I realized it. Roxas, I want to free you from this cage you're in, which is why I'm asking you to run away with me to Radiant Garden."

"You didn't just go back home to apologize, you—"

"Yeah, I went back to ask for help too… Demyx, he's going to let us stay with him," Axel said, his fingers giving the younger boy's hand a short yet tight squeeze.

"Axel, I can't I—"

"Roxas, please… Run away with me. No more transplants, no more being locked up in this house—you'll be free and most of all, you'll be with me, we'll be together and you won't die, not when you're still so young…"

"Axel…" Roxas murmured almost breathlessly as tears began to form in his big blue eyes.

"Please, Roxas, please…" Axel begged; his hand's releasing the other's small hands in favor of wrapping his arms around the blonde's fatigued body.

Roxas' heart raced. There was so much information for him to absorb from Axel and the thought of running away with him—he wanted it, he wanted it so badly that much he was sure. But why wasn't he jumping for joy like he was supposed to? Instead he was hesitant and fearful. To run away and leave Hollow Bastion meant leaving Sora behind—his original self. Was that what was stopping him from giving Axel a clear answer?

'_One day, Roxas you will become whole again. Do not forget that, because it is your destiny to rejoin with your original. Right now you hold the key to his survival and in the future when you begin the transplants together you will gradually become a real person again. Don't you think that will be nice, Roxas? You won't be a spare anymore when that time comes, you'll be whole again' _those were the words Professor Vexen told him the day that he met Sora.

When he was younger, that was what he wanted—to be a complete person, to save Sora and to become one with him because it was a task that only he could accomplish. That thought alone made feel special, it made him happy. But now it seemed like a terrifying thing to do, especially when he suddenly felt like such a failure as a spare for yearning for something that he wasn't entitled to. He wasn't supposed to want to feel like this, he wasn't designed to want a life that wasn't set in stone for him. Realizing this, the struggle between his responsibilities and his dreams, Roxas finally broke down, his face a mixture of confusion, of internal anguish and regret.

"I-I want to live… I want to be with you, Axel. I want to play music for you, I want to travel the world with you by my side… I want to live, I don't want to die, not when I love you so much…" he choked between his tearful cries. "But I can't, I can't—Sora, he's been nothing but good to me all this time… I can't leave him, I can't abandon my original for my own happiness, it isn't what I'm supposed to do but I love you, I love you Axel and yet it feels like it's tearing me apart inside!"

Roxas' cries filled the room, the volume steadily climbing to heights unimaginable even for Axel to withstand. The redhead didn't know what to say to calm his lover down and it broke him completely to sit there beside him, watching him as he drowned in his own sea of helplessness. Every minute cut him deeper than a knife as the blond sobbed and shook but he didn't leave Roxas' side despite the hurt he felt in his heart. Instead he took the pain bravely and stayed there well though the long hours until Roxas finally collapsed from emotionally overexerting himself. After he had finally fallen asleep, Axel at long last couldn't take the pressure anymore. He released the built up frustrations he hid away from Roxas and broke down in silence as he held the blond close to his body.

Outside of the blonde's bedroom in the darkness of the hallway, Sora sat with his back pressed up against the wall beside the door, his dull like gaze pointed up towards the obscured ceiling. He sniffled silently, his face just as tear stained and his blue eyes red and puffy from crying just as hard as Roxas. Every word that was spoken and exchanged between Axel and Roxas—he heard it all and knowing that he was probably the sole reason as to why Roxas wouldn't leave his prison with the man he loved, it hurt him more than anything.

oooo

"Riku…" Sora stood at the doorway of the silverette's hospital room, his blue eyes filling up to the brim with tears.

Opening his eyes weakly, Riku's mind slowly registered the voice calling out to him. He almost couldn't believe it, seeing Sora Strife standing there at the doorway yet there he was with big fat tears streaking down his baby-like face as his usually headstrong image began to shatter into tiny pieces.

If he had had more energy, he'd have probably been able to react much livelier to Sora's arrival. However at this point in time, the spare wasn't quite sure just how much strength he had left in him to carry on living let alone perform such a small task with what little stamina he had managed to preserve. Less than three days ago, Riku had undertaken his third transplant with his original, Kadaj. Despite his miraculous survival through the operation, his chances of survival between now and his forth transplant were slim. He didn't have to be told about his deteriorating condition, he just knew it—he felt it in his very bones.

No matter how many times he had witnessed the younger boy cry, it hurt Riku so much. Each and every time the brunet turned on his water works, it made his heart ache. Now as he practically laid in his death bed, the pain in his chest wounded him ten times as bad in comparison to his body's immense exhaustion. Riku almost wished that Sora hadn't come to visit him at all so that he could be saved from having to watch the younger boy weep over his inevitable demise.

Memories of their first meeting drifted into Riku's consciousness as his vision slipped in and out of focus on the younger boy. He never forgot that day six years ago and he treasured the memory above all else. He remembered being hostile towards Sora the very moment he had accidentally walked into his room but it was only natural of him to respond so defensively, especially towards ignorant originals who were the brunet's young age. Sora's persistence in pursuing a friendship with him though, proved to be the first stepping stone that Riku needed in order to learn how to trust others and for that he was truly grateful. Since then Sora visited him regularly without fail and he loved that about the younger boy.

Sora was everything he wasn't. His personality was upbeat, optimistic and above all else, outspoken. Riku was in no way near the other's level but it goes to show that opposites did indeed attract and for years he had been in love with the other boy—he just couldn't find it in himself to release the information, not until now at least.

Seeing his dear friend struggle to sit up so abruptly; Sora ran into action to gently push the silverette back down onto the bed.

"You shouldn't get up," Sora said through choked sobs, his fingers reaching out to graze the other's pale cheek before ascending towards the long silvery tresses that framed his slim face.

"I've been lying here in this bed for the last three days, I have the right to sit up whenever I want." Riku replied softly.

"No, but Riku…" Sora countered feebly, hands shaking in his attempts to hold the silverette down.

Shaking his head, Riku gave the other a pathetic shove back. He needed to do this despite his weakened state. Grunting painfully in his efforts to sit up on the bed properly, he couldn't stop Sora from sobbing quietly next to him as he stepped back a little from the side of the bed.

Riku was at the end of his rope, he was more than certain of it. He had managed to evade death so far but with the physical condition that he was currently left in, it was difficult to laugh in the face of the grim reaper that was most likely lingering over his shoulder, just waiting for the opportunity to take him to hell from behind.

Eyeing Sora's tear written façade, Riku chewed on his lip nervously, suddenly unsure if what he was about to do would actually be the right approach. He was certified enough to be considered dead at this point and there was nothing else that he had left to lose other than his best friend. Sighing, he contemplated a little longer—Sora had every right to know about his feelings and the longer he kept it a secret the more selfish he felt taking his secret to the grave.

Giving the younger boy one last glance, Riku decided that he'd rather let his actions speak on behalf of the words he just couldn't bring himself to construct.

In the course of just a few seconds, Riku wrapped his pale fingers around Sora's wrist. Gripping the twig-like thing tightly, he pulled the limb forward as hard as he could, forcing the other boy to collapse into his awaiting arms just in time for the silverette to adjust their position quickly so that he could plant firm thin lips against Sora's parted lips.

The brunet's face contorted into that of shock but he quickly found himself molding naturally into the silverette's body. Slowly he returned the kiss, tears falling down his cheeks despite the intimate position he was in.

The kiss lasted much shorter than Sora had anticipated from the moment their lips touched. The feeling of the silverette's mouth moving against his own was almost feather light and reminded him of soft rose petals on Valentine's Day. He instinctively leaned in more to try and deepen the kiss but wasn't given the chance as Riku pulled away the next second. The brunet whined quietly, causing Riku to smile knowingly at him but Sora understood that there was an underlining importance behind the older boy's actions.

"I love you, Sora." Riku finally said, his fingers caressing delicately against the other's tear stained cheeks.

Sniffling in silence, Sora's blue eyes became misty and unreadable to Riku as his eyes fell to the ground and out of the other's sight. He gave no reply for a few long minutes and it began to frighten and worry Riku. He was almost sure that the brunet would reject him now after he had confessed his feelings and he swallowed his pride as he waited for the younger boy to confirm his prediction.

Sora didn't say anything though, opting instead to move forward and kiss the silverette as deeply as he could much to the other's surprise.

The feeling of lips moving feverishly against his own caught Riku off guard but his reaction wasn't so much as shock, more of relief instead, if anything else. He recovered quickly from the bombshell though, returning the kiss just as anxiously as the younger boy. Before long, he had Sora on the bed with him, the other's skinny legs locked tightly around his waist.

Freeing his swollen lips from the other's grasp, Sora breathed softly against the silverette's mouth, only to smile tearfully at the dazed boy.

"I love you too, Riku."

oooo

"_Hey, why not try picking on someone your own size?" Standing at the mouth of the alleyway was a complete stranger; their attention directed solely towards the group that had sixteen year old Cloud Strife pressed up against the side of the building. _

_He was rather tall compared to the teenage blond and had long shoulder length brown hair and a pair of dark stormy blue eyes along with a jagged scar across his face. He looked like the kind of person that was not to be under estimated and yes indeed he had the group of teens cowering under his gaze._

"_Who do you think you are? I don't need saving!" Cloud exclaimed abruptly._

_Catching his adversaries off guard, the blond landed a quick punch towards one of his repressors. He managed to send his fist flying right into the other's cheek, propelling them back a feet or two from the force he exerted. Unfortunately his attack prompted the rest of his opponent's ally's to jump into action and he was quickly tackled down._

_Surprisingly, in a matter of seconds the brunet joined into the fray and he sent the four other teens staggering back and forth from just a few well-placed punches and kicks. Huffing, he gave the teen's one last glare before kneeling down to attend to the fallen blond at his feet._

"_Hey, are you alright?"_

_-x-x-x-_

"_That's a lie!—do you honestly think you are capable of taking care of yourself in this condition?" The brunet yelled at him._

_Stopping in his tracks, Cloud swallowed nervously. He didn't understand how the other male could break through his defenses and scale the high walls he worked so hard to construct and maintain. Risking a glance over his shoulder towards the brunet, Cloud stared into dark pools of ocean blue eyes that instantly drowned him in its captivating waters._

_He didn't know what to say now that he had been confronted, and especially by Leon of all people. Frozen in place with his head turned towards the older male, he bit his tongue and kept his mouth shut—feeling unsure of how to reply to the brunet._

"_Cloud, you need to stop doing this…" Leon finally said. "At the very least, let me shoulder some of the burden you can't hold onto anymore…"_

_-x-x-x-_

"_Shut up!" Cloud exclaimed._

_He couldn't believe what he was being forced to hear. After four years of knowing Leon, of finally realizing just how deeply he felt about him, of finally having his feelings returned—it was all being taken away from him in the span of just minutes as he stood across from the couple—Cid and Edea Kramer._

"_We're sorry Mr. Strife, as Leon's benefactor's he is required to complete his designated assignment as a spare." Edea said in a disgustingly calm voice that shook Cloud to the very core._

"_Look at it this way young man, Leon isn't even human. Why would you bother wasting your time on an insignificant being like him when you can be acquainted with a nice young 'human' woman? You could have a real functioning family with a wife, even children for that matter. A spare can't be given an opportunity like that because it is a nonexistent lifestyle that isn't meant for them, especially since it's their duty to prolong their human counterparts."_

"_That isn't true! Leon isn't insignificant as you say he is! He's been nothing but human in my eyes and you have no right to dehumanize him!" Cloud cried, his voice resonating loudly within the small hospital room. _

_The sheer venom in his speech made the individuals around him cringe with fear—even Leon himself surprisingly. Taking a step towards them as he locked his narrowed blue eyes at them, it caused the couple to squirm and take a step back away from him._

"_Cloud, please stop—" _

"_Leon, shut up!" He screamed again._

_Shuffling out of his bed, the brunet shoved the man and woman out of his way in order to halt Cloud from advancing any closer to them. Knowing the blonde's temperament, Leon quickly ushered the younger male out of the room into the hallway. Finally alone, he took in Cloud's disheveled appearance, his eyes lowering to the ground as he wrapped his arms around the blonde's shoulders._

"_Cloud…" Leon whispered softly in his ear._

_Unable to keep himself together anymore, Cloud finally broke down, his face pressed hard against the other's chest to hide the tears that spilled from his sad blue eyes._

_-x-x-x-_

"_Why are you so stubborn?" Cloud asked as he sat beside the bedridden brunet._

_Arching a brow up at the blond, Leon scoffed before releasing a soft string of coughs. _

"_Why are you so insistent in trying to do everything on your own?" he countered, earning a gentle flick against his forehead as the blonde's way of replying._

_-x-x-x-_

"_Leon, please look at me…" Cloud begged as he ran his fingers through the other's long silky brown hair._

_Breathing heavily, Leon gradually opened his eyes, revealing a darker shade of blue that Cloud had never seen before. It was a clear sign that the brunet was losing the battle to live and it made the blond choke back a sob as his hold on Leon tightened. _

_Leon was immensely grateful that he had managed to endure his fifth transplant long enough to gain conscious afterwards instead of dying on the operation table despite his already declining state. He was sure that Cloud was at the very least comforted by the thought that he had survived but now came the hard part, which was telling Cloud goodbye. He knew his time was almost up as his vision drifted in and out of focus and though he hadn't mentioned anything before—he really was scared of what was to come. _

_Lying in the hospital's courtyard with his head rested atop Cloud's lap though, gave Leon a sense of composure that he didn't believe he had ever had a chance of obtaining, especially since he was staring right into the face of death. He had every right to be frightened of the unknown and it scared him even more that there was no way for him to defend his lover from the anguish of his death that he knew was sure to come and yet the scene he found himself in was too good to feel upset about._

_As time steadily ticked away, he continued to lay there with the man he loved, enjoying what little warmth he could feel emitting from the blonde's body. Even to the bitter end, he needed—no he had to stay strong despite his fears—stay strong long enough for Cloud's sake._

"_Hey, Cloud?"_

"_Y-yeah?" He sniffled which gained a forced chuckle from his brown haired lover._

"_No matter what happens, I will always love you, Cloud. Remember that, okay?" Leon said as he slowly reached a hand up to settle on the back of the blonde's neck in order to pull him down into a gentle kiss._

_-x-x-x-_

Instantly, Cloud jolted from his bed in a cold sweat. Panting heavily, he gripped the roots of his blond hair, yanking on it slightly in the process to make doubly sure that he was indeed awake. He quickly realized that he was no longer asleep to relive his memories much to his relief and though that knowledge comforted him, it pained him just the same to be awake in his hotel room—alone and shivering from the cruel reality that he was in.

Cloud's hands slowly slid from the front of his sweat soaked bangs to his pale face. Squeezing his blue eyes shut, he couldn't help the soft whimper that escaped from between his quivering lips as he laid back down and curled into himself.

He was flooded by emotions ranging far and wide. It hurt him deeply—having to experience it all over again and he began to wonder if maybe those memories were trying to tell him something. Feeling tears prick at the edges of his eyes, he shut them quickly and wiped them away.

"What have I become?" He called out to no one.

* * *

**A/N:** As I said at the top, this isn't the end!

And guess what? I finally watched Never Let Me Go and um… I just cried my eyes out so much. The story just broke my heart. No words can truly express my feelings for the movie, I just—I both loved and hated it. It really opened my eyes though, especially watching the human interaction between the characters within the movie. I don't want to get into the whole thing and write it out for all of you because it's so vast and is open to a wide variety of interpretations I guess you might say, but I will tell you that I highly recommend watching it. I'm pretty sure you will have mixed feelings just like myself and if you do watch it, it'd be nice to hear your own opinions about it and maybe we can have a discussion of some sorts.

Stay tuned for the next installment my lovely readers!


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